Handwritten Letter to ME(lissa)

Sister Sharon Andersen asked me to share part of my letter with you all. I had asked her how her mission has changed now that she is SO close to her half way point. This is what she told me...

*WEIRD FACT* Just because you are a missionary does not mean you are perfect! I am still the same person, I just now represent someone that is perfect. That is one of the reasons I wanted to serve a mission. When I was able to see friends returning from missions; I could tell they had changed and were different. Now I know that it was a change of heart. I realized that I SO wanted that! I was so lost where I was at in my life. I did not know what to do, or really what I wanted in life. I mean, I was not doing anything bad (I was working, going to school and going to church) but I was just hitting a brick wall. I was going and doing the same thing every week. I was at a total stand still, not moving forward or progressing. It honestly was not until I decided to serve a mission that I felt "found". I felt like I was doing the right thing; what Heavenly Father wanted of me. I have honestly never felt such peace so strongly as when I decided to serve a mission! It was a clear YES!
Because as you know I was thinking about it for a while. But as soon as I decided to really pray about it... I knew! I was so against it (for whatever reason) and was getting opinions for both sides. It was such a big life changing decision.
One of the things that really made me consider serving was seeing Sierra on her mission. (our ADORABLE Cousin on the Smith side. She served in the San Diego, CA Mission) Seeing how happy and excited she was made me really think more about it. She told me something and she probably does not even remember this... she said "A mission is NEVER a bad decision! You will never regret serving a mission, but you might regret NOT serving one." I have always looked up to Sierra being that we are close in age and just because of who she is! I realized that she gave up SO much to serve, and she did not regret it! That got me thinking... WHAT do I have to lose!? But HONESTLY I have gained SO MUCH for my service already. I did not lose a single thing! I love my mission so much! Not saying that is is easy, because it soooooo is not... There are days that I want to give up and just cry... but there are days that I am the happiest I have ever been!
There is nothing I would rather be doing. Nothing else would fit! I just wanted to take a second and thank everyone that supported me! So THANK YOU!!
Even YOU Melissa... haha. "Mrs. I am on the fence about you Serving". You have been so great helping me. I love hearing from you! I really do feel like you are my number one fan! ha ha! Also Sierra: you are the one that got me praying about it. When I was praying I got the feeling that I needed to read my Patriarchal Blessing. It says point blank in black and white that I will have the desire to serve a mission! My first thought as I read that through my tears was "OH CRAP! Now I have to go!" In that moment I know I could not deny it! I was where I was needed and I knew what I was supposed to be doing. I may have questioned myself from time to time but I always got the same answer. I need to go.
I want to bear my testimony that I know this church is the true church with all my heart! I have a testimony of it's truthfulness! I know I have a Heavenly Father that loves me and knows me by name. He knows my weaknesses and helps to strengthen them. He wants to help us ALL return to live with him someday. For that very reason he has provided his son as our Savior! I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that he died on the cross and payed the price for each and every one of us! He did that so we can be forgiven of our sins. He has shown us the way by his perfect example. My testimony has grown and has been strengthened by representing him as a missionary. I have gained such a great love and appreciation for the priesthood. It has amazing powers and our living prophets show us that power today! I know they are called of God to lead and guide his church. I know I was called to serve in the Tampa Florida mission for a reason by a prophet of God. The Book of Mormon is true! It is another testament of Jesus Christ. It is a witness that he lives and loves us. I know Joseph Smith restored the church that Heavenly Father and Christ established. When he was her on earth, this was Christ's church! I know it! I live it! I love it! Amen.

~She told me not to put this up if I thought it was "too churchy" but I think it is a wonderful example of true missionary work. Of course she is serving the Lord for others; but I love that SHE is being strengthened while doing the work! Thank you all for supporting my baby sister! She is so precious to me and I am so happy to be a part of her journey. She teases me about "being on the fence" because I was a pregnant emotional person when she left. I broke down while saying goodbye and told her not to go. It was because of selfish reasons, and I knew I was being irrational so I tell her I am sorry for doing that in almost every letter! Now that I have had the baby and am "back to normal" I am so happy that she is serving! Matt and I had been pushing her to go for a while before she made her final decision so I promise I DO want her to serve! WE LOVE YOU SISTER ANDERSEN!!

Letter # 35

Dear Family!

I'm glad to hear you all had a good time at girls camp! Sorry to hear it was raining though. So everyone slept in cabins? Is that really camping? So  Sister Calder and I made s'mores in honor of your girls camps :) I was very glad to hear that mom did not freak herself out too much... (being one of the 4 people in the kitchen) ha ha Oh, and Daddy... you didn't attach any pictures to your message. i want to see how everything has changed up at camp.

Oh yeah, and Melissa told me the Rays were coming to visit for the 4th :) Please give all the kids hugs and kisses from there favorite Auntie on a mission! :) Make sure to take tons of pictures and send them my way please!? :)

Yes Mother; I got the package! :) Thank you!! Thank you!! I got all I needed and more! :) You are the best!! :) It came at the perfect time... for some reason these last couple months I've been running out of money toward the end of the month. So the mango and candy were a perfect snack because I have pretty much eaten everything else. ha ha. Still trying to learn to manage my money. 

So this week has been kinda crazy! We found out one of our investigators Michella (I think I told you a little bit about her. IDK?) She was a referral from headquarters. She is my age and is staying with her parents while she is out of school right now. She is pretty much the sweetest thing! She been going to SUU. (Southern Utah University) She got a scholarship to SUU for gymnastics. That is how she found out about our church. We have been teaching her for about a month now.

She told us last week that she wanted to get baptized before she goes back to school. Sister Calder and I were VERY EXCITED!! However, the last time we meet with her; she said she wants to get baptized back at school so all her friends could be a part of it. We honestly just feel blessed to be a part of the process with her. We are just sad we are not going to be there, but are hoping to stay in touch... What was really neat though is that her parents would sit in on the lessons. They wanted to know and understand what their daughter had been telling them. They wanted to experience it with her.

It's really neat experience seeing a very close knit family outside of our faith... They are a very close family and her mom reminds me a lot of our mom! She found out that we are on our own and not reporting to someone everyday about where we are and stuff. So she got very concerned and worried. She asked us to call her and tell her when were going tracting (haha) AND to call her when we get home. :) So mom; you don't have to worry!! I have people watching over me! We are very lucky to have a LOTS of mission moms out here; everyone loves the missionaries!!

It's just so different not being a member of our church. I have learned that we are more different than we would like to admit. Sometimes I forget when we teach people that we are asking a lot of them. Sometimes it is to make huge life changing decisions. After realizing that not everyone grows up exactly like I did; having the same core values and not having the knowledge. I've been so very blessed to have it my whole life. :) 

Well I only have a little a little bit more time and wanted to send some more pictures this time because they are such a hit everyone that has been writing said something about them! :) :)  

I want you all to know how much I love and care for you! You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I know you are all in good hands and being well taken care of :!)  I love you guys so much!  

God be with you till we meet again

Sister Sharon Andersen

Some really old ones of Sister Westberg and I. :)

  SIster Andersen, Michella, Sister Calder

 President and Sister Summerhays and I.

 President and Sister Summerhays and I.

 Sister Calder and I.

 We have have a pretty rough day... so we bought a half dozen doughnuts. Maybe that is why we don't have any money?  ha ha  I am a borderline emotional eater! ha ha! It is kind of a problem.

Letter # 34

Dear Family!!
 This week has been so bittersweet! We had our last Zone Conference with President and Sister Summerhays! I knew I was going to be getting two Mission President's coming into the mission. I was so excited about that :) people told me it is great serving with two Mission President's and that's it's a huge privilege being able to see how they run it differently and what they focus on. However, I did not think it would be this hard to see them go. I've been able to serve with them for almost half my mission and have enjoyed every second of it. They are such a sweet couple, they have so much love for all the missionaries and this work! I have loved serving under them. I look up to them so much. President Summerhays is just the sweetest thing ever! I've loved getting trained from him and doing interviews with him. I am able to feel of his love for each of us and of the gospel. I know I'll grow to the love the Cusicks just as much!!

At the Zone Conferences we have the missionaries that our going home soon give their departing testimony. It is so different when you know the missionaries going home. It's so sad when you've gotten close to them, and see them prepare to leave. i just couldn't help but start to crying. I'm such a girl!!! I am just still not good with all the changes... and then when President and Sister Summerhays got up there to speak; it became real.  It is going to be just so different. To top it off we sang God with with you till we meet again... that's when i lost it. By the way; thanks Melissa! (I end every letter to her with that... "God be with you till we meet again!") I love that song but I can't really sing it on a mission without crying anymore! It was great though because we were able to give hugs and handshakes (to the Summerhays) Sister Summerhays told me she was so proud of me and that she loved me and she thought I was doing a great job... just when I had gotten myself together again! Ha ha. It was a great day; definitely bittersweet. However, I love my mission now!! And I'll continue to love it!

  

Sorry I was in more of a rush than usual. Sorry that my letter is so short; maybe the pictures will make up for it :) Love you all!!!!!

 I love you so much :) God be with you till me meet again :)

 Sister Sharon Andersen

 Preparing for the Tropical Storm... Tee-Pee Mattress's

 Sister Calder and Sister Andersen after a Beach Baptism

 Poppin' TAGS!

 BEAUTIFUL view...

 Jumping for JOY! Another one baptised!!

 Scenic View

 So pretty!

 Just after a bike ride in the rain!

and being SILLY scared in the bathtub...

 

Letter # 33

Dear family!!

Well, happy late fathers day!!! sounds like daddy had a good one which makes me happy. glad that you got my present :) sorry it's nothing huge but i wanted to send a little something...and it kinda worked out that i was confused about when fathers day was hahaha   cause that way you for sure got it on time :)

And i don't have Carly's email so could you please pass the message along :) PLEASE THANK HER for bringing over dessert, she's pretty much the best!! i love her!! Carly thank you for taking care of my daddy :) you are and will always be the little sister i never got :) LOVE YOU!!!

So this week wasn't exciting as last week...but it's kinda hard to compare to being on lock down and all :) we talked about 72 hours kits again at district meeting, so your mind can be at ease mommy :) my 72 hour kit is fully stocked and ready :)

Funny thing, though, that day we had another tornado warning haha but i guess that's the norm. the elders just keep telling us "Welcome to Florida".  thanks elders!! ..but luckily this week we're on car so we could still go out and work. but it's starting to get pretty crazy...summer coming :) here the weather is always changing. so you just always have to be prepared..it might just start down pouring out of nowhere.... all the members say it's pretty regular. it hits in between 3-6 everyday. so it's just going to take some getting used to.

I loved the rain before i came out :) and I'm trying really hard to love it out here......it's so weird tho cause you'll put on a jacket before it's pouring down rain, but then you start sweating because, guess what, it's still hot and humid outside :) it's so weird. but i love it!! i love Florida!!

So the only real update is on Dawn. she's the one i told you about in the last letter. she was led to the church by frogs :) well we're having to move back her baptism to the 29 :( cause we're trying to figure out her living situation. she's living with a family right now and we're trying to get her settled on her own. but we're excited about meeting with her. she's really making huge changes in her life. it's just amazing to see people change right before your eyes. and see all that Christ can do and does do for each and everyone of us.

I'll keep you updated on that; hopefully everything works out. oh yeah, we're also planning on going out with Jessica this week which i'm excited about!!  because of the ward split, i don't get to visit her anymore and only see her for every once in awhile. but she's allowed to go on visits with us, which she gladly loves to do :)

Mary -- i haven't seen in months :(  she hasn't been coming to church lately. the other sisters update me sometimes on how she's doing. she's in a tough situation. her sister doesn't approve of her coming to this church.  They're very strong catholic. but i hear she's doing the best she can

But that's about it for the week . i love you guys so much!!!!! and think and pray for you always

Sister Sharon Andersen 

~ (For the rest of you, Carly brought over a couple of pieces of very chocolate cake last night -- since she knew that Sharon always used to make desserts for us every Sunday.  So nice of her to think of that!)  

(And the present that Sharon sent me was an alligator pin.  I wore it as a tie tack to church yesterday.)

Extra Pictures!!

Just some random pictures :) First one is a picture after the Coult's wedding recepiction. Yes we found a frog and caught it! :)They are everywhere after rainstorms. and by the way they are really fast!

 

The next one please send to hayhay... tell her a gator got me :) It was really my bike that got me but she doesn't need to know that... (I just want to see if she will fall for that :) ~She totally fell for it; she said I bet the gator thought her leg was a long duck neck and was hungry! LOL. Hailey also asked if I thought Sharon was still alive after the gator got her, and I said "She sent us the email and the pictures so YES... She survived a gator attack!" and then Hailey said "Thank goodness I would be really mad at that gator if he took my sharshar!" LOL 

 

The next one is also from the wedding... It was beautiful! They did a great job (just in case you were wondering... I still want my wedding on the beach :) I was thinking San Diego Temple)  I had an idea I did half the heart and once Preston get's to Texas he does the other half... I saw it on pinterest. I thought it might be cute. Now you just have to talk him into it :)

And the last one sums up our last couple of weeks :0 Summer is officially started and we have gotten caught in a TON OF RAIN STORMS... it was just down pouring rain! :/

Letter #32

Dear Family!!

No emails?? I'm guessing maybe mom is trying the dear elders.com thing? IDK (=I don't know) Well I have not got it yet. :( Well anyways... this has been a crazy long week :) I wrote you a little bit about it in the letter I sent home. I am not sure if you got that yet but...  

Monday was our usual P-DAY... and Sorry again that my letter was so short :( I totally lost track of time reading Preston's Letter :) I was just so happy to hear from him and we were kinda rushed because the whole zone was going to Costco! (The things that missionaries do for fun!!) The Costco trip together... it is so fun doing stuff as a District and Zone! It is especially fun out in public because we get a lot of stares :) Sorry if I tell you everything about my week in this letter because I think I said the same thing in the letter I sent... I guess we will see if that happens.

Tuesday we did service again. :) Mom ~ I am pretty much a master at raining rooms not and laying glue on the floor for tile:) (I am not sure what she was trying to say in the last sentence) We already reached the 500 hours needed for that family. Mya and Dima- they are a very sweet Russian family that got baptized about a year ago that live in the ward. Right now we are continuing to go and help them. We are trying to meet new people and maybe find a family we can volunteer our time too. We hope that our service to them will help them to be interested in learning more about the church.:)  

Wednesday- we had our District Meeting. We meet with a couple of returning members. (President Summerhay's does not want us calling them less active anymore. I am trying to get into the habit of calling them "returning members".) It is a very positive way to look at it :) 

Thursday- the most crazy day of the week!! I wrote you a hand written letter because we were on lock down!! We were not allowed to leave our apartment :/ It was so crazy!! So we have this white weather box in every missionary apartment. It goes off if there anything we need to worry about, because we can't watch the news. So on Thursday morning it went off!! (At 1, then at 3, and then again at lunch!!) It sounds like a fire alarm. I was already awake because of the rain but it for sure scared me!! It is funny though because the day before at District Meeting and we were going to go over all the stuff we need to do. We got an "In Case of an Emergency " packet thing that tells us what to do. Sister Clader and I were kind of freaking out, but we felt prepared and that everything we went over was inspired! So we got a text during our morning studies to stay inside until 11 am. That was when the watch was over.

We were trying to not freak out; then we got another text telling us we could not leave our apartment until further notice! That is when we really started freaking out! We started going through all the steps trying to find a safe spot. We got our mattresses to try to see if they fit into our bathtub... and they didn't!! So then we went into out closet with them and got our helmets and 72 hours kits ready to go. 

We were really freaking out so we called the Elders in our ward and they put us at ease. They said that it wasn't that bad. We also had members checking the weather for us and keeping us updated. Then we just we're having fun with it taking video's and we also made a forts and watched The Testaments. Besides being completely freaked out and having to cancel all our appointments it was pretty good day. :0 There was a tornado spotting in Cape Corral which is about 20 miles North of us; It is in our Stake boundaries though.  

Also, for some reason we thought it was Fathers Day this Sunday!!?? At least I know daddy will get his present on time this year! :) I sent a letter and just a little something for him! 

However;  that was not the most exciting part of our week... get this!!! One of our investigators committed to be baptized on the 22 of this month!! And it will be on the beach!:) I don't know how much I told you about her. Her name is Dawn,  she is in her 40's and she just walked into church one Sunday and said that the Lord had lead her there. She has got a kinda tough life and she enjoys walking; it helps her think I guess. One day she was walking it was after a rain storm and she was chasing a frog and it lead her to our church building :) The Naple's building is kinda hidden in the back and can be hard to find :) So the frogs lead her to our church:) She's a little different and kinda quirky but she is great!!! We also found 3 new investigators this week!!! Pretty good crazy week :) I am running out of time and I kinda wanted to send you some more pictures... 

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!! PLEASE keep me in your prayers!:) and forward Preston's letters!! 

I love you guys so much!!!!!!! 

~ Sister Andersen 

LOVE THESE PICTURES!!~~

Letter # 31

Dear family!!

This has been a pretty good week! I don't know what happened or changed, but Sister Calder and I seem to work together better than EVER! We also seem to understand each other more. :)  We just are different. That is one thing I have learned out here; how to get along with other people. It is really neat to meet different kinds of people and see how everyone has their own story. I've really learned how to work with other people and get along with people that I might not have gotten along with before. :)

 

This week was interesting with transfers :( Transfers are never fun. I'm still not good with change. It's hard saying good-bye to everyone and having new people come in. Every missionary adds something new to the District and Zone.

 

This transfer was really hard... We had to say bye to one of the favorite sisters I've meet out here.:) (Actually probably my close second right after Sister Westberg :)  So p-day last week was bitter sweet.  We had a really fun time. We all hung out at the church, and played volleyball and ate a ton of junk! It was hard to say goodbye... but it was a good end. We did the same thing as last transfer; all the sisters got together and had a goodbye photo-shoot which is super fun! :) I want to keep that tradition going. :) It was just really sad; because the sister was not getting transferred -- she was going home. She hurt her leg out here on the mission and it just wasn't healing fast enough/getting any better. I understand, it's hard to rest when on a mission cause you just want to go do the work. She is going home for a short time and planning on returning hopefully SOON :)

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we got caught in some pretty crazy rain storms!:) Looking back now, it was fun... but at the time we were just cool and tired :) So this week we have been trying to work on visiting the less active members. We haven't had much success. :( However we have found 2 new investigators which was really nice :) They seem great too!!! One of the sisters we met just walking around with Sister Brandley :)  Her husband passed away a couple years ago and we loved sharing our testimony on being able to see him again. I'm so thankful for all the knowledge that comes from this gospel :0  I love this church!!  And know it's true with all my heart :)  I LOVE YOU ALL!!! 

Sorry, short on time.  Love you all!!!

~ Sister Sharon Andersen